Borjomi Park
By Katie Ruth Davies
The Borjomi Mineral Water Park is something special and magical any time of year- cool, shady and fun for the kids in spring and summer, colourful and autumnal-fresh in fall, and full of snowy Christmas magic come December. Put on your winter gear and come for a walk with us…
On your right before the gates is the cable car which runs up the mountain, affording beautiful views over the town. At the top is a big wheel (closed in winter) and a vast expanse of woodland to picnic in.
Back at the park entrance, you’ll need to pay 50 Tetri per person (children under 6, free). On your left you’ll see the original bottling factory, now empty (the Borjomi company uses others of the 40 local springs nowadays) save for a vast entrance hall, still in the original style, with a selection of enlarged black-and-white photos showing the history of Borjomi town, park and spring water- well worth popping in!
Head along the clean paved paths past lush flowerbeds (unless it snowed before you got there!) and twisted vines, to the famous pavilion at which you can easily imagine the elegant 19th century ladies and gentlemen partaking of the waters, though this is not the original fountain (which can be seen in a huge photo behind you adorning the old cinema building). On busy days there will be one or two ladies down near the taps to fill up your cups or bottles as requested. At quieter times you can go down yourself and drink as much water as you can stomach.
Not to everyone’s taste, the warm water is packed full of minerals, somewhat slimy in taste. Georgian’s swear by it as a cure for many ills- a belief which dates back centuries!
Energized with that “magic” Borjomi water, you can now explore the park further. The 3km path follows and criss-crosses the Borjomula River on sturdy wood-and-iron bridges, passing children’s rides (shut until May) and the Soviet relic “Fairy Land” which is just begging for some TLC! Next to the giant swinging pirate ship the paved path ends and you can turn back or carry on into the woods.
The woodland path is part gravel-part mud and if you’re wearing the shoes for it, and you’ve got your swimming gear with you, definitely head on in! The recently built Borjomi Crowne Plaza hotel very kindly offered to renovate the hot spring pool at the end of the park (3km from the entrance), dividing the single traditional pool into three, one of which is shallow enough for children, and all constantly fed by the 27 degree water flow. Women are as welcome as men and children. There are no changing rooms, just tiled terraces with wooden benches on- but a free dip in the water is worth the discomfort of getting changed behind a towel! And when I was last there- 9:30am on a Sunday morning in late November, there were locals in the pools in their swimming trunks.
Be brave- it’s good for you!
Need to know:
Security guards are on duty throughout the park
The entire 3km route is pushchair-friendly, though the far section can get muddy depending on the weather and there is one mild hill to navigate.